ܠ-

Utlimately merged from Proto-Semitic *lV- (“for, to”) + *ʾila (“towards, nigh”); cognate with Hebrew ל־‎ (lə-), אֶל‎ (el) and Arabic لِـ‎ (li-), إِلَى‎ (ʔilā).

• IPA^(key): [lə], [əl]

ܠܸ or ܠܹ or ܠ • (li or le or l)

1. To; the first part of a to-infinitive.

   ܦܬܵܚܵܐ‎ (ptāḳā, “opening”) → ܠܸܦܬܵܚܵܐ (liptāḳā, “to close”)

   ܐ݇ܟ݂ܵܠܵܐ‎ (ḳālā, “eating”) → ܠܹܐ݇ܟ݂ܵܠܵܐ (leḳālā, “to eat”)

   ܗܲܡܙܘܼܡܹܐ‎ (hamzumē, “speaking”) → ܠܗܲܡܙܘܼܡܹܐ (lhamzumē, “to speak”)

• In most 1st group verbs, the vowel is zlāmā kiryā (as in ܠܸܦܬܵܚܵܐ (liptāḥā))
• In 1st group verbs starting with alāp, the vowel is zlāmā yarīḳā (as in ܠܹܐ݇ܟ݂ܵܠܵܐ (lēḵālā))
• In most 2nd group verbs, there is either a schwa or no vowel. (as in ܠܗܲܡܙܘܼܡܹܐ)

ܠ-‎ • (l-) (ܠ)

1. To; indicating a destination or end-point.
   1. Indicating the destination of movement.

      ‏ܒܫܲܒ݂ܘܼܥܵܐ ܕܥܒ݂ܝܼܪܹܗ ܐ݇ܙܝܼܠ ܠܝܼ ܠܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ.‎‎ ― b-šawuʿā d-ʿwirēh zillī l-ninwē. ― Last week I went to Nineveh.

      ‏ܫܲܥܬܵܐ ܟܡܵܐ ܡܵܛܲܚ ܠܡܕܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ؟‎‎ ― šaʿtā kmā māṭaḳ l-mdītā? ― What time will we get to the city?

2. To, for; corresponding to an English indirect object or a Latin dative.
   1. Indicating the recipient of a transfer.

      ‏ܩܵܡ ܝܵܗ݇ܒ݂ܹܠ ܠܵܗ̇ ܡܵܘܗܲܒ݂ܬܵܐ.‎‎ ― qām yāwēllāh māwhawtā. ― He gave her a gift.

   2. Indicating the addressee of an utterance.

      ‏ܩܵܡ ܐܲܡܪܝܼ ܠܲܢ ܡܘܿܕܝܼ ܗ݇ܘܹܐ ܠܹܗ.‎‎ ― qām āmrīlan modī wīlēh. ― They told us what happened.

   3. Indicating the person or thing affected by an action.

      ‏ܡܘܿܕܝܼ ܒܸܥܒ݂ܵܕܵܐ ܝܬܘܿܢ ܠܬܲܪܥܵܐ؟‎‎ ― modī biʿwādā ìton l-tarʿā? ― What are you doing to the door?

3. Of; indicating a possessor.
   1. Used with ܐܝܼܬ‎ (īt) or (for non-possession) ܠܲܝܬ‎ (līt).

      ‏ܐܵܣܝܵܐ ܐܝܼܬ ܠܹܗ ܥܲܝ̈ܢܹܐ ܡܝܼܠܹ̈ܐ.‎‎ ― āsyā ītlēh ʿaynē mīlē. ― The doctor has blue eyes (literally, “The doctor there is to him blue eyes.”)

      ‏ܠܲܝܬ ܠܘܼܟ݂ ܙܘܼܙܹ̈ܐ؟‎‎ ― lītloḳ zuzē? ― Don't you have money? (literally, “Is there not money to you?”)

   2. Used with a form of ܗܵܘܹܐ‎ (hāwē).

      ‏ܒܸܬ ܗܵܘܹܐ ܠܝܼ ܒܲܝܬܵܐ ܓܘܼܪܵܐ.‎‎ ― bit hāwē lī baytā gurā. ― I will have a big house (literally, “There will be to me a big house.”)

4. indicating the preterite past tense.

   ‏ܫܡܝܼܥ ܠܝܼ ܩܵܠܵܐ‎ ― šmiʿlī qālā. ― I heard a voice. (literally, “Heard to me a voice.”)

   ‏ܐ݇ܟ݂ܝܼܠ ܠܵܗ̇ ܚܲܒܘܼܫܵܐ‎ ― ḳillāh ḳabušā. ― She ate an apple. (literally, “Ate to her an apple.”)

• In Assyrian Neo-Aramaic ܠ (“l-”) essentially has two different sets of inflected forms: its own original forms, which are used in most circumstances, and the forms originally belonging to ܐܸܠ (il), which are used with words of motion, words of connection, words of relation, and so on.